Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar, who resigned as deputy chief minister last week, staged a show of unity with cousin and NCP MP Supriya Sule in Pune on Tuesday.

Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar, who resigned as deputy chief minister last week, staged a show of unity with cousin and NCP MP Supriya Sule in Pune on Tuesday.

Speaking at the women’s rally organised by Sule, Ajit Pawar said he would continue to work for people’s issues even if he was not in power. He said the party would press for free education to all girls till graduation.

Sule is currently organising women’s rallies across the state in an attempt to expand the party base and to carve her own identity. Ajit Pawar was also present at a similar rally held in Satara on Monday.

In an informal chat with mediapersons, Sule said she would be delighted if Ajit Pawar became the chief minister. “[Pawar’s] resignation is his personal decision,” Sule said.

The fact that the cousins are sharing the same platform assumes significance against the backdrop of speculation in political circles that the Pawar family is divided over the control of the party.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, meanwhile, trained its guns on Pawar.

“If Ajit Pawar has resigned from the government and is going to tour the state to prove how he is innocent, then the BJP leaders will also tour Maharashtra and show how guilty he is of corruption,” said Vinod Tawde, leader of the Opposition in the legislative council at a rally in Sangli.

“If the government brings out a white paper on the irrigation projects under pressure from Pawar, the BJP will bring out a black paper," Tawde added.